


A matter of tuxedo

by Tripower



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Drama, F/F, Fluff, Humanstuck, Tuxedo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-23
Updated: 2013-08-10
Packaged: 2017-12-09 08:00:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/771893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tripower/pseuds/Tripower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was only an autograph session in France nothing more. But you never expected, you Rose Lalonde, to meet this particular woman, called Kanaya Maryam in this little shop in Paris, and never in your life you have imagined asking her for help. Positive fact: she is particularly sexy in a tuxedo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Besoin de rien envie de toi...

**Author's Note:**

> First homestuck rosemary story. English is not my first language (I let you guess what my native language is) and I am more an artist than a writer. But this story has been sticking in my head for a moment already. I decided to write it :))  
> So please be nice!!  
> Thanks to my betareader OnlyFallenAngel!!

You think you are lost. Wait. In fact you are lost. Your name is Rose Lalonde and you really have no idea of where you are in this damned city called Paris. According to your manager, it would be a great idea to go to Paris for the promotion of the French version of your book "The complacency of the learned". And indeed, it worked! The cramps in your right hand can prove it, especially after signing hundreds of books during twelve long hours. After this long day, your manager accepted that you take a break and enjoy your free time. After all it is Paris, city of love and every other nickname it can have. So first things first, you came to the conclusion that today was shopping day at the Galleries Lafa…Faya…Ah whatever…today was shopping day at a commercial center. When you looked at a map this morning you noticed that your hotel was not really far away from the building. Since it was a beautiful and sunny day today, especially after three days of perpetual clouds above the country, you opted for a walk despite the cold (winter sucks). You left your hotel and started walking. You had to turn right, left, left, right and normally the galleries are…there… Nothing? Okay don't worry. It was the wrong way. Surely you missed an intersection. You only had to go back to the hotel and to start over. Left, right, right, left…No hotel? What the hell? Did the buildings move behind your back or what? Eventually you realized you had no idea where you were. You recognized neither the buildings nor the streets. 

"Great." You groaned.

Back to the present, you wonder why you didn't bring the map with you. Situating the shopping center on the map is totally different from finding it in the city with all these streets. Are you in the right direction in fact? You continue to walk hoping to find a familiar place or edifice, but no result. You are utterly lost and are getting cold. Maybe it is time for you to ask for help. You notice a man on the other side of the street. You are ready to call him when a glimpse of black lace catches your attention and you stop in front of a window display. That's when you see it: a long, sleeveless black dress. It is simple, but you like it, especially with this pink sash around the waist and the tiny pink details all over the garment. It doesn't catch too much attention, but the difference of colors is enough to divert eyes toward you.

Suddenly you remember the other reason why you wanted to go to the shopping center. Indeed, your manager informed you about a dinner at the Opera restaurant of the Palais Garnier. The goal of the dinner is primarily for celebrating the success of your books. But it is also the occasion to visit the palace for an eventual violin concert given by you. The dress code for tonight is formal. Well you found your formal dress.

Your reach for the door and enter. "Maryam et Maryam – tailor-made". You notice the name of the shop on the door and wonder why there is two times the name "Maryam". The shop is relatively small. There is one single room where several dresses and suits are displayed. At the bottom of the room there is a single door, surely the studio. A desk is situated next to this door, and behind this desk a woman, reading. However she quickly acknowledges you. At first she stares at you, eyes widened. But she composes herself shortly and stands up to welcome you. She is a tall and slender woman with long and wavy dark hair. Moving with grace she comes closer to you. You are able to discern then the tattoos on her bare shoulders and the piercings on her face, especially the one on her lips.

"Bonjour! Puis je vous aider?" She says, joyful.

You stop at the door, startled. You try to remember the few words in French you know to answer. You fail.

"Well…I…"

"Oh! English?"

"Yes, sorry."

She laughs. "Don't worry about it. It's not a problem at all. So what can I do for you?"

"Well I would like to buy this dress" You point at the window display.

She looks at where you are pointing and a really huge smile appears on her face. You stare at her.

"Is something wrong?" You ask. "Is the dress not for sell?" You hope not.

"No no you can buy it." She replies. "Mais quelle coïncidence! Qui l'eut cru? She whispers. "Anyway, of course you can buy it. But I think it needs some adjustments. It's a single model."

"Oh okay"

"Let's do it right away. KANAYA!!" She shouts. Then she talks to you once again. "My sister will do it. She is the most suited person for this job since she designed this dress." She smirks. "By the way, I'm Porrim Maryam."

"Oh nice to meet you." You reply. "I'm…"

You don't have time to finish the presentations as someone appears next to you.

"Yes Porrim?"

You turn around. You freeze. In front of you, stands the most beautiful and perfect goddess of this mortal world. Okay maybe you are exaggerating a little… Wait… No. You are not exaggerating at all. She is taller than you, but not as much as her sister is. Her smooth light tanned skin brings out the jade of her eyes and her spiky black hair gives her a boyish style but with all the feminine attributes. She is gorgeous. Unconsciously your eyes trail down to her chest. It is perfect. You wonder if her ass… Wait wait Lalonde. What are you thinking? Stop it already! You don't want to have a nosebleed in front of these pretty ladies. It would be a moment of pure awkwardness and shame for you and you don't want to scare them. Stay focus and behave! So you do your best to show the most perfect poker face you can make. However it is not the case for your interlocutor, who is furiously blushing and is staring right at you.

"Miss Lalonde, this is my little sister Kanaya Maryam." Porrim exclaims, really amused.

"Ah? I don't remember giving you my name." You remark.

"Oh it is not difficult to recognize such a celebrity like you: Rose Lalonde talented writer and violinist. And with all the pictures of you I saw, I think I will recognize you even with a wig and sunglasses."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Porrim looks at her sister, who vigorously shakes her head. You look at her and her smiling sister wondering what the problem is. All of a sudden Porrim takes Kanaya in her arms to prevent her from absconding. 

"This sister of mine, here, is a really huge fan of yours! She has all your books and CDs."

"Porrim! Stop it!"

If Kanaya was blushing some minutes ago, now her face is totally red from her cheeks to the tip of her ears. It's cute. It's really cute. 

"In that case, thank you Miss Kanaya." 

Oh god! She seems at the edge of fainting now. But she immediately pulls herself together and in fact starts freaking out when she hears her sister talking.

"You can call her only Kanaya, there is no need to be so formal since she knows you by h…." 

"I think Miss Lalonde is waiting. What do I have to do?" Kanaya interrupted, nervous.

"Oh yes. I almost forgot." The older Maryam laughed. "Miss Lalonde…"

"Please call me Rose."

"Well Rose would like to buy this dress. But I think it needs some modifications."

"Yes of course." Kanaya examines both the dress and you. You feel uneasy by her piercing eyes but also hypnotized by their beauty. She is visualizing everything in her head, her face serious, which makes her prettier than she is already. You feel the heat rising. If she keeps staring at you like this, you won't be able to restrain yourself anymore. 

"Okay, can you move in the back of the room in the studio? We will do what is necessary there."

You nod and do as you were told, relieve to break eye contact with her but sad also. When you arrive at the door you can hear the sisters talking in French behind you. You listen to them, curious though.

"Alors ça pour une surprise c'est une surprise!" It is Porrim who talks first. "Et en plus elle est entrée ici parce qu'elle a vu CETTE robe et veut acheter CETTE robe! Bravo Kanaya! Tu es la meilleure!"

"Porrim s'il te plait. Je n'arrive toujours pas à croire qu'elle soit dans notre boutique. Alors ne rajoute pas le fait qu'elle a choisi la robe dont elle a été le modèle."

"Allez!! Ça veut dire que tu la connais assez pour savoir ce qu'elle aime ou n'aime pas. C'est le signe du destin! Peut-être que tu devrais l'inviter à diner."

"Non Porrim ne commence pas. Je vais entrer dans cette salle, faire ce que j'ai à faire et point final." Kanaya is blushing now. However Porrim doesn't reply. She just shrugs.

What is going on? Maybe you should enter the room, before they think you are eavesdropping, which is what you are doing right now in fact, even if you understand nothing at all! Eventually you open the door. Saying the room is a mess is an understatement. There are clothes, fabric and patterns everywhere. You wonder how they can work here.

"Oh sorry for the mess. We finished a huge order yesterday. We didn't have time to clean the room." Kanaya informs you. She has just entered the studio as well and stands behind you, the dress in her arms. "You can change in the fitting room over there, while I'm trying to clean a little."

You nod and take the dress. On your way, you notice a copy of your book on a table. You can't suppress a smile. In the fitting room you close the curtains and commence undressing. You take a look at the dress one last time. You don't know why, but you feel like this dress was made for you. Everything is to your linking, the color, the details, and the contrast… You put it up. Surprisingly, minus some details, the dress fits perfectly. See? You were right; this dress is made for you. You leave the fitting room to join Kanaya. The latter is waiting for you ready. However, it seems she was not prepared to see you in the dress as she is now staring at you, cheeks flushed and mouth opened…Oh my…is she drooling? 

"Kanaya are you alright?" You demand, amused.

She jumps. Realizing what just happened, she turns to hide her face, even if it was too late. She inhales and exhales deeply in attempts to calm her beating heart. "Magnifique" She whispers. You hear what she said and you genuinely blush. She eventually gets hold of herself (not without difficulties) and turns back to face you again, smiling.

"Sorry for the interruption." Kanaya apologizes. "Come to the center of the room so we may begin. I'll see what needs to be modified. It may take me a few hours to do all the alterations afterward. So you can leave after I check everything. I'll deliver the dress to you when it's finished."

You obey. She comes closer to you and examines the dress. She stays silent and you do as well. You don't dare to speak fear to break her concentration. 

"The dress is a little too long."

She kneels before you and takes the hem of the dress and lets her magic operate. You watch her, bewitched by the scene. Her movements are precise and simple. She works with care like she manipulates crystal. You stay silent, scared to disturb her. But as time passes, Kanaya is still not done and you get worried. 

"Will the dress be ready for tonight?" You ask.

"Of course, why?" She answers, still focused on the dress.

"Well you are taking a lot of time…"

"Oh no don't worry. It will be ready for tonight. I promise." She smiles. Oh god! Her smile. 

"If it is not too inappropriate, is there any particular event tonight you have to attend." She continues.

"A dinner at the Opera restaurant of the Palais Garnier."

"Oh nice. It is my duty then to make the most beautiful dress that will make the others jealous." 

You both laugh and continue to talk about anything that comes to your mind. As the conversation goes on, you feel more relaxed and start enjoying your time with Kanaya, who is still adjusting the dress. You learn that she really wanted to come to your autograph session, but the huge order she had to finish with her sister that same day stopped her from doing so. She has all your books and knows them by heart! So you end up talking with her about your next book you are writing right now. She gives you some ideas and her opinion. Surprisingly, her ideas are good, really good, and are coherent with your line of thoughts. She is a gem. You have no other words to describe her. It has been a while since you enjoyed a conversation with someone who is not your manager or your family (even if sometimes your brother Dave can make you crazy with all his so called irony and stuff). You want to keep talking with her, to know her more. But sadly, she eventually finishes with the dress, and you find yourself in the fitting room again to change back in your normal clothes. You sigh. You are tempted to ask for her phone number to keep in touch with her. But what is the point? She lives in Paris; you live in New York. It will never work right? Okay stop lying to yourself; distance is not a problem anymore today when you only want to talk with someone. No, you are only just scared that she refuses. She may be a fan of yours, but she can interpret you invitation in the wrong way, gets scared and decides to never talk with you again. You can't accept that. You groan in frustration. You know it is really cliché, but if you end up doing something stupid, it is preferable that you do nothing at all.  
Fully dressed, you finally leave the fitting room. Porrim is at the door of the studio, talking with Kanaya. Both sisters notice you and smile. You smile as well.

"So…" You look in your bag for your wallet. "How much does the dress cost?"

"Well since Kanaya created it, she will decide." Porrim grins.

"Free." Kanaya simply says.

You almost drop your bag and stare at Kanaya "Wh…what?"

"It's free, it's a gift for you."

"No no. I can't accept that, I…"

"Please I insist. You are alright with it Porrim, aren't you?"

"You decide. Everything is fine with me."

"No really. I will feel bad if I accept the dress like that." You state in disbelief. 

"And I will feel bad if you don't accept it." Kanaya counterattacks. Sweet move, it is really effective. 

You are speechless. You try to find a good reason to pay for the dress, but the smile on Kanaya's face is really distracting and persuasive. Your will is crumbling in tiny pieces. You need to react fast. Wait! You notice your book on the desk. You smirk. You finally have an idea.

"Okay I'll take it. But…" You walk toward the desk and take the book, surprising Kanaya and Porrim. "Let me at least sign this book for you." 

Kanaya's eyes widen. She is speechless. Her sister just laughs. You come closer to them while writing in the book. "To my favorite fan, Kanaya Maryam. Rose Lalonde." You close the book and hand it to Kanaya. She takes it with trembling hands.

"Thank you!" She exclaims, tears of joy in her eyes. 

"You're welcome. Now I think I need to go back to my hotel."

"Which hotel are you staying in?" Porrim asks. "So we can deliver the dress to you tonight."

"Le Concorde." You reply.

"Oh good. It is not too far away from here."

"Great. In that case…" You hesitate. "Can you tell me where the hotel is? I must admit that I was lost when I found your shop." You blush.

But Kanaya and Porrim only smile.

"Don't worry. Paris is a real labyrinth, even for us." Kanaya informs.

Eventually you leave the shop not without regrets as you bid Kanaya good-bye. You look at her one last time. You are still torn between asking for her number and doing nothing and just forgetting. Of course you know that the last choice is impossible for you. How can you forget the perfect woman? But it is Porrim who decides for you as she hands you a piece of paper with a phone number on it. You look at her.

"Kanaya's number." She whispers so her sister can't hear her. "But don't tell her I gave it to you." She winks at you.

You like this woman.

Finally, after Porrim gave you the directions, you go back to your hotel, with a huge grin on your face. 

 

-X-

"WHAT??" You shout.

"I'm sorry Rose, but I just learned the news a moment ago." Aranea Serket apologizes. Aranea has been your manager since the beginning of your career. She is the best manager any writer or musician could have. Attentive she knows when you need some time alone and when you need some support. She is your confident and best friend. But she is still also human and as a human she can miss some tiny details that are not so tiny in fact. Like today she forgot to tell you that you need a date for the dinner of tonight! 

“Wait! How come you didn’t know about this date thing before?”

"Well before today, Caliborn English was not invited to this dinner. When he saw your name on the list, he gave this idea of bringing a date tonight."

You groan. Caliborn English again. You swear you will end his life with your bare hands. Son of Lord English, he is the CEO of the worldwide SBURB TV channel. It happened that he and you had the same mentor, Doc Scratch. However the latter had a clear preference for you, and you think it is one of the main reasons why Caliborn hates you…or maybe because your sister is dating his. Anyway this guy hates you and does everything he can to let you know it. You sigh.

“Then I just have to go without a date.”

“I don’t think it is a good idea.” Aranea says, frowning.

“Why?”

“If Caliborn is behind all of this, he will use the situation to his advantage. He may find a way to ridicule you by coming alone. It is preferable that you come with someone, at least a friend. What about John?"

"Impossible, he is in Japan for a big contract. He may be able to open a subsidiary of his bakery there." You answer. "And Calliborn knows I prefer women. If I come with a man, even as a friend, who knows what he can do."

"Jade?"

"Too far away from France. Even if she takes a jet, she won't be able to make it in time. Why not ditching the party then?" You suggest.

"It will be worse. You may pretend that you are sick or something else, but Calliborn knows you all too well to be fooled. He will call you a coward and will make sure that everyone knows about it."

"And to say that he is my brother-in-law." You sigh.

"SOON TO BE brother-in-law."

"It's only a matter of time before Roxy proposes." You laugh. "And what about you?" You smirk. 

Aranea stares at you and furiously blushes. "Well…"

Suddenly the connecting door between your bedroom and Aranea's flies open. Yours eyes widen as you see the last person you expected to be here.

"Peixes?" You raise an eyebrow.

"Lalonde."

"Aranea you never told me that Meenah was with you." You grin. You look at your manager, who is readjusting her glasses. She always does that when she is really nervous. Your smile widens.

“Well...” She pauses. “Meenah just arrived this morning. According to her, the fact that I’m in Paris without her is unacceptable and so she took the first plane to arrive here”

“So really sorry Lalonde but my Aranea is off limits!” Meenah puts her arms around her girlfriend’s waist in a protective way and acts like a guardian dog protecting her mistress. You laugh. They are so cute together. However it doesn't solve the problem you are currently facing. You need a date. A woman would be preferable, since everyone knows you came out last year. But you are pretty sure that Caliborn is waiting for this to happen to strike afterwards. The best solution would be… You grin. That's it!

"Okay I'm getting worried. Lalonde is smiling like an idiot. She's gone insane." Meenah says.

You don't listen to her as you take your phone and dial a particular number that you immediately entered in your phone when you got it on a piece of paper. You know it's bold. You just met her this morning. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. You wait, the stress starting to rise, but you try your best to stay as impassive as possible.

"Hello." Oh god her voice. You can't get tired of hearing her voice.

"Hello Kanaya." You simply say. 

"Rose?!" You smirk. She didn't expect this. "How did you get…" A pause. "Porrim!!!"

You can hear said sister laughing on the other end of the line and can't suppress a small laugh either. You wait for Kanaya to speak again.

“Sorry for that.” She quickly says. The tone of her voice lets you guess that she is tensed. After all, she didn't except you to call her on her personal phone “So...” She stammers. "If you are calling for the dress I...”

“I’m not calling for the dress.” You interrupt her. “I was wondering if you were free tonight.” 

She chokes. "Er yes…why?"

"Well I need a date for tonight and…" You hear a muffled sound and then nothing. "Kanaya?" 

Instead you hear Porrim talking. "Kanaya! Est-ce que ça va?"

"Oui…Oui… juste un peu sous le choc" Kanaya replies.

You hear them talking, understanding nothing (Maybe it is time for you to start learning French) Hence you patiently wait for someone to take the phone. It is Porrim who answers.

"Sorry Rose. We put you on speaker. Kanaya doesn't feel very well." She laughs. "So you talked about a date?"

"Yes. I have a dinner tonight and I need a date. But there is something I need to tell you."

You explain your plan for tonight. The more you say the more you can picture in your head Porrim's smile. Because you are pretty sure that she likes your plan as much as Meenah who is staring at you with the biggest grin on her face. Finally you finish your explanation and wait for an answer.

"Is it a challenge Lalonde?" Porrim asks, eventually.

"Maybe." You chuckle. "So Kanaya do you accept to be my date tonight?"

"Well…"

"We accept the challenge!" Porrim exclaims.

"Porrim! I'm not sure…" Kanaya hesitates.

"Come on sister. Do you think that we can't do it?"

"No no but…"

You wait. And for the first time in your life, it is the longest seconds of your life. You wish that she will say yes, but you understand that she may not want to do this. What you are asking for is really unusual after all. You hear Kanaya sighing. Eventually she talks.

"Okay Rose we are in."

You smile. 

-X-

You hear someone knocking at the door of your hotel room. You quickly open it. 

"Rose Lalonde?"

"Yes." You reply and take a look at the man standing before you. He was short, almost the same height as you. He looks angry. You wonder why he hasn't yelled at you already, even if he has no particular reason to do so. You notice your dress in his hands. After Kanaya agreed to your plan, she told you that she won't be the one who would deliver the dress, because she needed to prepare herself for tonight.

"From Kanaya." He gives the dress to you.

"Thank you." You reply before looking in your wallet. "How much do I owe you for the travel?" You have supposed that he was forced to do the delivery since he looks really pissed. So since it is your fault in a way, you should at least do something. But his surprised expression tells you the contrary.

"No need to." He quickly replies, blushing. "I'm only helping Kanaya that's all, you don't need to pay me." He immediately leaves after saying good-bye.

You watch him leave. You smile. Kanaya has good friends. Eventually you close the door of your room and take a look at your dress. "Okay it's time to get prepared for tonight."

-X-

You are getting worried. Kanaya is late. 

Ready for tonight, you left your hotel. But first you visited the Palais Garnier with Aranea (and accessorily Meenah). Saying the opera is astonishing is an understatement as you admire the sumptuousness of the ornament. You all agree that next year your will have you concert in the premises. Eventually after an hour or two you find yourself at the Opera restaurant, alone. Hopefully you arrived really early so all the guests were not here yet. But as times passes, more and more people were filling the room, and you apprehend your meeting with your worst enemy Calib…

"Oh Rose what a pleasure to see you."

"Oh Caliborn. The pleasure is mine." You force a smile. Great. The last person you wanted to see right now is in front of you, a woman by his side. You wonder how much he paid her to be here.

"Let me present you Marie De Nîmes, the presenter of Sburb news France." He smirks.

"Nice to meet you Miss Lalonde." Marie genuinely smiles. She seems not aware of Caliborn's plans.

"Nice to meet you too." You reply.

"Oh Rose." Calliborn grins. "Did you come alone?"

You stay silent. Here we go. Really you'll kill this man one day. You take a deep breath. You need to find an excuse until Kanaya arrives.

"Well…"

However a hand on your back stops you.

"Sorry for the wait darling." 

That voice. You immediately turn around. You freeze, eyes widened. You stare at Kanaya, Kanaya in a perfect and fancy tuxedo. 'Oh god.' 

_"I need a date for tonight."_

_"Okay it may not be a problem, I think I have a dress that…" Kanaya starts._

_"That's the thing I need to tell you about. I need you to wear a tuxedo."_

_"A tuxedo?"_

_"Yes."_

_"You want me…to…act like a man?" She hesitates, quite unsure, and you think a little bit disappointed._

_"No no don't worry. I just want you to look both feminine and masculine so people can't figure out your gender."_

_"Oh I see."_

_"Is that a challenge Lalonde?" Porrim asks._

The Maryam sisters are genius. The tuxedo, Kanaya is wearing, is doing a good job in concealing her gender. No breasts or at least you can't see them. If someone happens to press his or her body against Kanaya's, surely this person will feel something that men usually don't have. You are pretty sure also that you will kill this same person for doing such a thing with Kanaya. Her shoulder seems larger with the tuxedo, and combined with her height, she looks more imposing. Her hair pulled back and the minimum of make-up make her more masculine than she is already with her clothes. But at the same time you can slightly discern the curves of Kanaya's hips behind her tight pants and her feminine feature. The illusion is perfect. 

"Don't worry dear. You're just in time in fact." You reply.

"Who is your friend Lalonde?" Calliborn ask, unpleased. 

You smirk.

"I'm Dominique Maryam. Nice to meet you."

'Neutral name? Good job Kanaya!' Your smile widens. 

"Maryam? I heard this name somewhere." Marie speaks. "Are you related to the Maryam sisters who have a shop nearby?"

"They are my cousins." Kanaya smiles. "I am surprised that you know about them. They are not really famous."

"A friend of mine bought a dress made by them and I have to admit that it was magnifique."

"Then next time come to see them, I'm sure they would do something for you as well."

"And how did you meet Lalonde?" Calliborn asks, curious.

"Well…"

"I happened to meet Dominique when buying this dress at the Maryam's store in fact." You reply for her. "We talked and I invited this lovely person…" You point at Kanaya. "… To be my date for tonight." You look at Caliborn, smirking. 'Take this Caliborn!'

Before your nemesis could talk, you are informed that the dinner is ready. Everyone cheers and start walking toward the tables. You stay behind with Kanaya. Alone you speak.

"I have to admit that I'm speechless. You did a very good job. You went beyond my expectations."

"Porrim was quite excited to do this, thank her." Kanaya simply replies. But the smile on her face is telling that she enjoys this act. "So if I am not wrong. You wanted me to hide my gender because of this Calliborn."

"Exactly. I'm quite surprised that you figured it out."

"Well Caliborn is pretty famous even in France. And I learned that you are not getting along."

"Indeed. He brought up this idea of a date so he can humiliate me I think by commenting on the choice of my date. So to piss him off, I imagined this plan. If he can't discern your gender he can't say anything!"

Kanaya laughs. "Indeed, it is really clever."

"Thanks for helping me though. We only met this morning. You were not forced to help me."

"What kind of fan would I be if I refused to help Rose Lalonde? "

"Yes." You whisper. "A fan." You keep smiling, but it dawns on you that for her you're just her idol, that's all. She'll do anything for you because she admires you. You have hoped that she did it because of something else. However Kanaya seems to notice your change in mood.

"Is everything alright Rose?" She looks worried.

"Yes don't worry."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes really."

"Then we should meet the others, they must be waiting for us to start eating. Let's not starve them."

You both laugh. Suddenly she offers her arm and you take it.

"How chivalrous." 

"It is my duty to accompany such a lovely lady as you to the dinner table." 

When you arrive all the seats were taken, except two. You sit facing Caliborn. 'Great…" Fortunately, the plates arrive just after. The dinner was relatively calm with everyone enjoying the food. You have to admit the French gastronomy is still one of the best. When it is time for desert, people start talking again with enthusiasm about the dinner and other trivialities.

"So Dominique." Caliborn stares at Kanaya, still trying to figure out her gender. "What can you tell us about yourself?"

You frown. He doesn't give up easily. You look discreetly at Kanaya to warn her. But she only smiles at you, and gently strokes your hand. This action doesn't go unnoticed. You genuinely blush, not expecting this from Kanaya, while Caliborn is glaring at both of you, furious.

"I'm not really special, M. English. I'm only a mere accountant who sometimes helps her cousins with their work."

"You can sew?" Marie asks fascinated.

"Yes, it is a hobby."

You listen to the conversation, quite astonished by Kanaya's oratory. It was clear, simple but refined at the same time, and it is not even her native language! If she can speak so smoothly in English, you wonder how it is in French. 

"I'll be very happy that you show me your work." Marie says with enthusiasm.

"I'm not sure. In comparison to my cousins, my work is not so impressive." Dominique replies.

"Come on, you're being modest. I'm sure that it is great."

Wait. Is it you or this Marie is hitting on Kanaya? You stare at both of them and eventually at Caliborn, who is viciously grinning. Is this Marie trying to steal your date? So this is Caliborn's plan? Oh no! You won't let him win! You gently and silently lay your hand on Kanaya's.

"Excuse me for this interruption, but I need to talk to Dominique in private."

"No problem." Marie smiles.

You both get up and go near the entrance of the restaurant. 

"Thank you Rose." Kanaya sighs. "She was asking me so many questions, I was starting to run short of answers… and I think she was flirting with me."

"She was. She was trying to steal you from me. Surely it was Calliborn's idea." You groan. "I'm not so keen on coming back now. Do you care to walk a little with me outside?"

"It is not a problem? Surely people will ask for you."

"I'll warn Aranea, so she can cover for us. Prepare everything while I'm looking for her."

Kanaya nods. You then go to the toilets, because you are pretty sure she is there with… You hear a moan behind the doors. You smirk. Here she is. The moans become louder and you can hear muffled sounds. "Meenah…" "Ohh yes." "Faster."

'Should you let them finish first?'

'No'

You knock at the door and hear a gasp. You laugh.

"Lalonde get the fuck out!" Meenah hisses.

"I will. I only need to talk with Aranea."

"Y... Yes?" Your manager stammers.

"I'm leaving with Kanaya. Can you cover for us when you are both finished?"

"Okay."

"Happy Lalonde? Leave us alone!" Meenah shouts.

You leave, not without hearing Aranea screaming. You chuckle. You go back to the entrance where Kanaya is waiting for you, unexpectedly pale.

"Are you alright Kanaya?" You worry.

She jumps and looks at you, eyes widen. But she quickly composes herself, and only smiles. 

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking that's all."

You are not convinced. You learned to read people well and Kanaya's eyes are telling you that something is bothering her. But you know when it is better to not press on the matter.

"Then let's go."

She nods. Like a true gentleman, she takes your coat to put it on you. You thank her, while she is preparing herself and you both leave the restaurant.

"So where do you want to go?" Kanaya asks you. 

"I don't know. I feel like walking, any place you want to show me."

"Les Champs-Elysées?"

"Okay."

Kanaya assures you that the walk was not very long. You don't mind, because that means you will have more time with her. You talk. You enjoy talking with her. She is not like the other people who waffle endlessly. She is attentive and patiently listens to you before talking. You like her more with each passing second. You learn that she lost her parents when she was 12. Since then she has been living with her sister Porrim. She majored in fashion design just like her sister so they could open their shop together. They were not famous, but they have regular customers. You talk about your family too. You inform her that you also lost your parents when you were young and that you live with your siblings: Dirk your big brother, teacher at MIT in robotics, Roxy your big sister, a system security officer and Calliope English's girlfriend ("Yes Calliborn's sister") and finally Dave your twin brother, movie director. Kanaya stares at you, mouth opened.

"Your family is really incredible compared to mine." Kanaya forces a smile.

"Don't be ridiculous, your sister and you are incredible too."

"I didn't see you as someone who makes compliments so easily Rose."

"I usually don't, it is only the truth, that's all."

She blushes. You take her hand to caress it.

"I mean it Kanaya." 

She doesn't reply. You can see her inner turmoil in her eyes. Something is wrong. You hope it is not because of what you said. 

-X-

"It's beautiful!" You say in awe.

"Isn't it?"

You eventually arrived at the Champs-Elysées near to l'Arc de Triomphe. You remembered a documentary about Paris on the TV, but the images of the avenue and the monument were totally nothing compared to what you are looking at right now.

"What a pity you weren't here for Christmas. You would have seen the Christmas market and all the decorations." Kanaya informs.

You look at Kanaya and you freeze. 

In all your life, you never believed in love at first sight, the stars and all of this stuff. It is totally cliché, and you hate that. For you it is only some illusions people created to cope with their thirst for cheesy romance. But Kanaya makes you doubt and prove you that you are wrong. Here she is, illuminated by the light of l'Arc de Triomphe behind her. You think that she is the most beautiful creature you have ever seen. You feel your heart beating hard in your chest. You have met this woman only this morning, and it is like you have known her for ages. Yes you are falling for her, hard.  
"Is everything alright Rose?"

"Kanaya…"

"Yes?"

"You are perfect."

She blushes. You continue.

"I only met you this morning, but it's like…" You take her hands.

"We have known each other since we were young?" She continues. 

"Yes."

"Well I need to tell you something. The dress that you are wearing and that I have created…"

"Yes?"

"You were my source of inspiration."

"What?"

"This dress is based on you. I thought about you when I created this dress. About what you like, what you hate."

"That's why I love this dress so much then. Good job Kanaya."

"Thanks. So, I think it proves that I know you well then." She jokes. But you know better. She is only half joking. You can feel this glimmer of hope behind her words.

"Indeed. You know me well." 

You both stare at each other silent. And you don't know how, but you find yourself kissing Kanaya the second after. You thought she would be shocked and push you away. But on the contrary she deepened the kiss. Oh god! It feels so good. 

After this kiss, everything was a blur. However, you remembered calling a taxi to go to your hotel. You tried to restrain yourself in the car, because you didn't want to make a scene. But it was Kanaya who made the first move by kissing you, quite hard. Hopefully she was still wearing the tuxedo, so for the driver you were only a normal couple enjoying yourselves. After quickly paying the taxi driver, you entered the hotel, took the elevator (not without small stops in the way for more kissing and ass grabbing) to eventually stop in front of your hotel room. You desperately tried to find your key card in your bag, but Kanaya was doing a good job in making the task difficult. She was behind you, her arms around your waist, kissing and nibbling the back of your neck. Suddenly she kissed you at this particular spot, you moan and your legs became like jelly. Fortunately she stopped you from falling and whispered in your ear.

"Interesting."

You rested your head on the door, moaning. It was almost impossible for you to keep looking for this damned key card, as Kanaya is attacking this new spot she discovered. Her hands were wandering all along your body. You were pretty sure that you would do it in the corridor, when your hand touched a flat object in your bag. The keycard! You immediately took it and tried to insert it in the door. But because of Kanaya's ministration, your hand was trembling, which made you miss the hole. It was Kanaya who did it for you by taking the card. She opened the door and in one motion, you found yourself in the room, tackled against the wall. The door was closed. Kanaya was against you, one of her legs between yours, pushing hard, which elicited a moan from you. You felt the heat rising up. God, Kanaya was good at this! But suddenly, she stopped and looked at you, smirking.

"Before continuing, I think I need a shower to remove all this gel in my hair."

"O…okay" You said out of breath.

So that's why you are now sitting on your bed, really horny and waiting for Kanaya to finish. You can still feel the warmth of her hands and lips on her heated body. 'Gosh, can't she be faster?' Why didn't you say no? You are pretty sure that she did it to tease you. It works, because now you are really frustrated and want nothing but ravishing this goddess who is in your bathroom. Bathroom. Suddenly it dawns on you that if she is taking a shower, she must be naked. 

Naked.

No clothes.

Wet tanned smooth skin.

Oh god.

You quickly check your nose. Good no bleeding. You finally stare at the bathroom door. 'What are you waiting for Lalonde? The nirvana is waiting for you on the other side of this door!' You get up, undress and open the door of this bathroom. In front of you, Kanaya is there, under the shower, naked. You close the door, the sound catching Kanaya's attention. She turns. 

“R... Ro...”

She doesn’t have time to finish as you tackle her to the wall and kiss her. Hard. Immediately, you feel the hot water on your body. You don’t care. On the contrary it makes you hotter than you are already. Kanaya is fast to react as she put her hands on your ass. She squeezes it, which draws a moan out of you. In an instant it is her turn to tackle you to the wall and lift you. Automatically, your legs come to rest around Kanaya’s waist. It feels good, really good and surprisingly it feels right. You move your head to let her have better access to your neck. Her kisses are light but they give you a shiver each time they touch your heated skin. She takes her time, enjoying her ministration while massaging your thighs. You let a moan escape. She smiles. You look at her. Her eyes were dark, full of lust. You feel your lips on hers again. You can’t wait anymore. You need this woman right now! So you manage to say a weak “Bed” between the kisses. She hears it and stops the shower.

Again, you don't remember well how you arrived on the bed as Kanaya's touches and kisses were driving you mad. You had a few adventures in your life, but all of them weren't comparable to what you are experiencing right now. The caresses, her hot breathe on your body and her fingers! Oh god her fingers. You wonder if it is because she is a seamstress, but they were doing miracles. After a few hours (well you're not really sure anymore), you both fell on the bed, exhausted. Automatically, Kanaya takes you in her arms, her head resting in the crook of your neck. You were falling asleep, when you hear her whispering.

"Je t'aime."

You don't need to know French, to understand what she had said. You smile and hug her tighter. You don't know why, but you deeply believe in those three words she said, maybe because you feel the same. Yes you do love her. You admit it, it is love at first sight. 

-X-

When you wake up the morning after, you don't feel the presence you are expecting to be next to you. No. On the contrary there was nothing.

"Kanaya?"

You finally notice the small piece of paper. You take it and you freeze.

_I'm really sorry Rose. But I think we made a mistake last night. Please don't try to contact me. It's better for both of us to forget each other._

You don't move. You can't believe it. No that's impossible. You learned to read into people. And you are totally sure that last night was not a mistake. She loves you! She… You eventually notice your wet hand, and your tears falling. The last time you cried was when you lost your parents. This time you cry because you are sure that you lost the only person, whose love matters to you.


	2. Mon Amour, Mon Amie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I'm not a fast writer, and I got busy with other things (like drawing, check out on my Tumblr (tri-chan) and I need to finish this damned thesis D:)  
> This is the unedited version, I'm still waiting for my beta reader to correct it, but you have waited long enough, I did my best to correct the mistakes. Hope you'll enjoy the last chapter of the story :))

The first time you read "Complacency of the learned" was when you have waited for 4 hours in a library. You best friend, Karkat Vantas, succeeded in dragging you to an autograph session of a romantic book that he was a fan of. But it was not the case for you. So it was with no surprise that you got bored after one hour of waiting. You felt your back arching and decided to wait for Karkat, comfortably seated in a sofa, not so far from him. Fortunately, he understood your situation and was already happy that you agreed to come with him at the library (Well it was this or hearing him crying like there is no tomorrow, but deep inside, you knew that you care for your best friend and would do anything for him). So you decided to read something. You took the first book that was in your reach. You looked at the cover and started reading the summary behind. It was a wizard story. It caught your attention. You had always been more interested in vampire stories. But recently, you were looking for something new. Intrigued by the plot, your opened the book and read the first chapter. It's only when Karkat called you that you stopped reading. You realized with a huge surprised that the autograph session was over and you have been reading for nearly three hours. Karkat was looking at you amused.

"Found something interesting Kan? A vampire story again?"

"No…not really."

You looked at the book in your hands. You have already read a third of the book. Eventually, you left the library with the whole collection in your bag. Karkat, by your side, looked at you with a huge grin on his face.

"The whole collection Kanaya? It must have been really captivating for you to buy it, especially since there is no vampire in it!"

"I must admit that the story is really intriguing and well developed in comparison to lame vampire books I read recently."

"So who is the lucky one who wrote those stories?"

"Rose Lalonde." You quietly said as you watched at the author's picture at the end of the book.

"Rose Lalonde? The Rose Lalonde?" Karkat stared at you surprised and quickly took a glimpse at the picture also.

"You know her?" 

"I assisted one of her violin concert. I didn't know she writes books also."

"You? At a concert?" You couldn't suppress a small laugh. "I never knew you were the concert type Karkat."

"That wasn't my idea! Terezi forced me to go with her. I swear even blind this girl will make me crazy!"

You laughed harder. Terezi was one of your best friends with Karkat. She lost her sight in a car accident. Since that day, Karkat and you did your best to help her. Surprisingly, she adapted to her new life very well and people, who didn't know her, generally didn't believe she was blind. She said she learned to see through taste. Quite silly according to you, but hey you had to admit that Terezi often saw things that no one else could. So maybe she had really this weird power. Anyway you went back at the matter at hand, which is the book you are holding in the said hand. You examine the picture of this so called Rose Lalonde and couldn't suppress one little thought that would decide of your faith: 'She is really cute.'

Since that day you got quite obsessed with everything related to Rose Lalonde. You purchased all her CDs a few days later after you bought her books and it became quite a ritual to work while listening to her music. You're hunger for her books was so huge that you couldn't wait for the French translation and ended up reading the English books, since it was always out six months earlier. For a time you couldn't think of anything else. Your sister Porrim did nothing to quench this obsessive attitude. She just smiled at you and said it was love. Love? You didn't think so. A crush yes but not love. So you didn't take her words seriously. But your attitude was telling the contrary. You remembered when she finally did her coming out during a concert. You were hopeful. You told yourself that it was not impossible for you to be with her, to be her girlfriend, even if she lives in New York and you in Paris. Maybe one day you and Porrim will have enough money to move in New York. There maybe you'll meet her and you'll be best friends forever and more. You know the probability is low, but you couldn't help yourself in working harder after this news, hoping that your wildest dreams would come true one day.  
But if good news could motivate you to no end, bad news was here to bring you back to reality. Porrim, understanding, was here to comfort you when you learned that your idol, the person you admire the most, was dating someone. You saw it on the internet and you felt you world and dreams shattered in little pieces. You knew you shouldn't be surprised. She doesn't know you, she never met you, and she had her own life. But you couldn't help yourself in being selfish. You wanted Rose Lalonde. Knowing that someone else was sharing intimate moments with her, you felt jealous at first. But at the end, you were only totally miserable. You stayed in your bedroom for a whole week. You learned that Rose broke up with her girlfriend, only 2 months after the announcement. You were genuinely happy. But it made you realized that you shouldn't have your hope up, or it only will bring you pain. For a long time you feel conflicted. You didn't know what to do. You were lost and unmotivated. You wanted to throw those feelings away but you didn't know how. 

"Why don't you create your own dress? A new model. It has been a while since you created something on your own with all of these orders we had to make." Porrim suggested. 

Sometime you didn't know what you would have done without your sister. You immediately went in your studio and started working. You thought of Rose, your muse when you designed the dress. You wanted the perfect dress for her, the one that matched exactly her likes and dislikes. You based yourself on her biographies and information you could find on the net, but also on her books and music. She was putting so many feelings in her work. You were pretty sure it was because she was showing a part of herself in it. When you finished the dress, you totally felt better. Porrim was really impressed by the dress and you both agreed to put it in the show room. Secretly, you wished that one day Rose Lalonde would see it, even if you knew that dream would never come true. How wrong you were…

 

"Kanaya!"

You got up from your bed and wondered why Porrim was calling you. You were mourning in your bedroom once again. This time it was because you missed Rose's autograph session yesterday because of this stupid order. Porrim told you to go to the session. But it would have taken almost 3 hours to have your book signed. You couldn't let your sister working alone for so long. So you decided to stay. But really why did you stay? It was only an order why? Ha yes…for the beautiful check you received after delivering the clothes. Money you really needed to pay the rent and other stuff. You sighed. The fashion life was not an easy one. You had customers, but sometimes it was not enough. So you couldn't refuse this money and you couldn't have it if you didn't finish in time, which meant helping Porrim to work faster. 

Porrim let you having your day off today. She wass so considerate. But there was a really urgent matter for her to call you. So you arranged yourself and join her. The events after you joined her will be printed in your memory forever. Your reminded yourself to make a little prayer at the Notre-Dame later to thank god for making your dearest wish come true. Rose Lalonde was in your shop because she saw your dress, the same dress you made for her. During all the time in the studio you could feel your heart beating hard in your chest. You were thankful that Rose couldn't hear it. You embarrassed yourself already when you drooled in front of her because she was mouthwatering in the dress. You always wondered why time flies when you don't want it. Your heart arched when you see your idol leaving the shop even with you book signed. But your pain was short when you received Rose's call a few hours later. You scowled Porrim for giving your phone number without your permission. But in reality you couldn't find the words to express how grateful you were.

-X-

This is how you ended up wearing a tuxedo to be Rose's date. Your said date went looking for her manager so she and you could leave the restaurant. You are waiting for her at the entrance.

"So it's you Kanaya Maryam." 

By reflex, you turn around. You regret it immediately as you see Caliborn and realize you just confirm that you are indeed Kanaya Maryam. You freeze. You look at him, trying to not betray your actual feelings.

“How did you figure it out?” You ask.

He laughs. “You see… sometimes I think French sucks for not having neutral pronoun. But sometimes English becomes quite problematic when you use possessive pronouns. I quote ‘I'm only a mere accountant who sometimes helps _her_ cousins with their work.’”

“What do you intend to do?” You say your voice low.

“Relax.” He laughs. “I have to admit. I wanted to humiliate Lalonde during the whole show. But she played a good game by inviting you. I’m impressed. Now I feel pity for you.”

“What do you mean?” You frown.

“Come on! Didn’t you see it? Why Lalonde would ask someone like you to help her? Only to have her way with you at the end, that's all!"

"Rose is not like that!" 

"Really? How can you confirm that? You met her for the first time this morning."

You stay silent. You can't say anything. 'How did he get theses information?' You wonder.

"I'm right, am I not? So tell me what make you so sure that Lalonde didn't do all of this for her own pleasure. You are struggling for money, desperately trying to look for recognition but to no avail. You are nothing compared to her!"  
You try to reply, to prove your point. But you can't, because Caliborn has in reality a point. The fear you buried deep inside your mind is coming back. He is right. Even if you made this dress for Rose, read all her books and listened to her music, what makes you worthy to declare that you know Rose? She is beautiful, intelligent, and famous. And what about you? Who are you? No one. It hurts, because everything Caliborn said about you is 100% true.

Your silence makes Caliborn's smile widen. 

"Well then… I should let you see by yourself the truth." He says before laughing and leaving.

You watch him walking away, processing every word he said in your head. Second by second you actually see the dream you have been in, shattering in millions of pieces. You should go. You are not worthy of Rose. You should… 

"Are you alright Kanaya?"

Too late. You turn to see Rose by your side. You see her smile and realize that you can't leave, even if you end up with a broken heart. Porrim was right. You love her. Deeply. And you are ready to suffer for a taste of this love, even unrequited.

-X-

It hurts.

It hurts like hell. 

Finally you arrive in front of your shop. Slowly you take your keys from your back pocket and open the door. You go in the back room to take the stairs toward your home. You are silent, acting in auto-pilot, thinking of nothing, but totally feeling the pain in your heart.

"Kanaya?"

You don't know how, but you eventually arrive in front of your bedroom, next to Porrim's. Your sister is at her door, looking at you, worry on her face. You look at her. But you are too tired to speak. So you just open the door and enter. You discard your vest on the floor, and directly fall on your bed. Porrim didn't let you alone and enter your bedroom as well to check on you.

"Kanaya? Are you alright?" She asks again, her concern growing on her face. 

You look at her once again and bury your face in your pillow shortly after.

"Let me alone, Porrim… please."

"Not before you tell me what is wrong, sister. Something happened tonight according to these… hickeys on your neck. Something I thought you would be ecstatic about. So tell me why you are not grinning like an idiot?"

Even your sister's joke couldn't make you smile. In the contrary, by mentioning your hickeys, you remember what happened a few hours ago. How perfect it was. You can still feel Rose's skin under your finger. Warm. Soft. Smooth. She is so perfect. Even her screams, her moans are exquisite songs to your ears and you didn't miss a chance to trigger them. You remember that sucking this particular point in her neck makes her moan your name, that her ears are really sensitive and when you touch this particular spot in her at a certain space, she would this time scream your name. 

You feel tears on your cheeks and can't suppress a sob. This night was so perfect, until you said those three words. Caliborn was right. You were only a distraction for Rose. But you accepted it, if at least you could be friend with her. But after saying those three words, it was impossible now. You screwed up everything. She doesn't love you. It is simply impossible and now that she knows the truth, she would have rejected you the day after, back there in her hotel room. Better to leave before she is the one to make you leave. It hurts enough already. 

"Kanaya." 

"I screwed up Porrim. I screwed up everything." 

Tears are freely falling. You start to shiver. Porrim immediately lies on your bed next to you to take you in her arms. 

"Shhh Everything will be alright."

"No not after what I have done."

"Tell me what happened then."

You tell her everything. How happy you were when you meet her at the restaurant. How a good job her sister did. How Caliborn unfortunately discovered the truth. How he made you doubt. You tell her about your night with Rose minus the details and about the biggest mistakes you have ever made. She tells you that it was not. But you don't listen to her. You don't want to. Because if you hope one more time that you still have a chance, you are pretty sure that this time you wouldn't be able to keep living when you realize it was only a dream.

-X-

You don't know how long you have been in your room. According to your calendar, it has been three months since that night. Three months already? Rose left France, two days after her dinner at the Opera restaurant, two days after you made love to her, two days after you left her bedroom. She did was you told her. She didn't contact you again. Good. Because you are pretty sure that if she did, you would have screwed it up once again. But at the same time, you heart hurts more as you realized she indeed didn't contact you. You were only a one night-stand. Surely, she was totally not affected by your letter, just shrugged and that was all. She already had forgotten you in New York.

Karkat and Terezi came to see you several days after to cheer you up. But no matter what they tried, they never succeeded in dragging you out of your room, out of your bed. But they never stopped visiting you every day. You told them to not bother themselves for her. But they kept visiting you. At the end, you burst into tears, so happy to have such wonderful friends. They just smiled saying that everything will be alright. Karkat even assured you that Rose was a nice person, which let you speechless. Karkat rarely says that a person is nice. Decent, yes, but not nice. Rose surely made a good impression when he delivered her the dress for you. But even with their visits, you couldn't resolve yourself in leaving your bedroom, leaving your secure world to come back into reality. You don't want to believe that everything will be alright. You are scared.

But today is different. You are looking outside your window when you hear music. But it is not any music. It is your favorite album, the one composed by Rose. Strangely, it doesn't bring you sorrow. In the contrary you feel nostalgic. You remember listening to this album each time you were sewing with your sister. It was like a ritual. First you would put the music on. It was the signal for both of you to work on your orders. Then, several minutes later, you would start talking about your day and anything else. At the end you always ended up laughing about trivial things. You could still hear the music in the background even if you didn't particularly listen. But now each time you listen to this album, you always remember this particular memory. You can even feel the fabric in your hands; hear your sister laughing at your jokes. You remember those happy memories and you miss it. You can feel this urge deep inside of you again, the will to sew, to create something with your hands, to free your mind from your problems.  
Eventually, you get up from your bed. You take some clothes and go to the bathroom. After a little shower, you feel refresh and completely awaken. You finally go downstairs in the studio. You are silent at first to no disturb your sister. But it is no use as Porrim immediately spots you at the door. She looks at you surprised and turns to stop the music.

"I hope I'm not bothering you with the music." She hesitates, since the music was performed by Rose. But you only smile at her.

"On the contrary, it reminded me when we used to work with this music."

"Well do you want to help your poor sister in finishing all the orders for tomorrow?"

You suddenly realize that while you have been sulking in your bedroom, you let Porrim running the shop, alone. You feel guilty.

"I'm sorry Porrim for not helping you."

She shrugs.

"Don't worry little sister. All I want it is you to be happy."

"And I want you to be happy also. Maybe it is time that you find someone."

"Naahhh I have you, and I think she doesn't like me that way."

"Who knows?" 

"Yes… who knows?" She smirks.

-X-

"Here the last one!"

You run toward Karkat and help him carrying the box in the studio… your new studio. You still can't believe it. You look outside and admire the street. The place is much crowded near the Champs-Elysées than in the one-way street where you were living before. The Champs-Elysées. You never thought of living and having your shop here. 

Everything started when Marie De Nîmes entered your shop. You never thought she would indeed come here. But she did and was ecstatic at the sight of the dresses you made. She didn't recognize you and you were glad for it. It has been two months since you left your bedroom and five months since your date with Rose. You didn't want to talk about it, especially with a stranger like Marie. She bought two of your dresses. Porrim and you were genuinely happy to have some cash, but you were not prepared for what followed. Really impressed by your design, Marie proposed you to participate to a fashion show that she would present. It was a unique occasion to show your work to journalist and critics. Without hesitation you both accepted the offer. You worked during 2 whole months to make all the models you needed to present. It was the busiest months of your life, but it had the positive aspect of making you forget about Rose. However you couldn't help yourself in thinking of her when you made your salutation to the public with your sister during the fashion show. It has been a huge success for both of you. Journalists, critics, celebrities were rushing toward you after the show. You imagined Rose being among these people, looking at you with a smile on her face. 

After the show, you didn't suffer from lack of orders anymore. In the contrary, you had so many orders that you employed someone to help you. Finally, money was no more a problem as your name was rising in the fashion world. You decided then to move somewhere else. Your old shop and studio were becoming too small for you. So after months of research, Porrim came out with this place near the large avenue. You asked her how did she find it, but she didn't answer and only smiled. You didn't press the issue, but it was troubling.

Two years. Two years since that day now. You have to admit that time does fly. But no matter what - works, interviews, fashion shows - you always think about Rose. You still love her, even more than before. You sometimes dream of the day when both of you will meet again. But this time, you aren't nobody anymore. Porrim and you made a name by yourselves. You won't be ashamed and shy. If she doesn't accept your love, it won't be because of your situation, but because she doesn't share your feelings. It will hurt, of course, but it will be because of who you are. 

You learn that Rose will give a concert in the Palais Garnier next week. According to your source on the net, she had to delay her concert of one year because of personal issue. Porrim suggested you to go. But you hesitated. You still don't know what will happen if you meet Rose there. According to her last book, in which you read some of your ideas and the message "Thanks for helping me with this story", she doesn't show animosity toward you, but that doesn't mean she will be particularly thrilled to meet you at her concert especially after what you said two years ago. You are scared. It is preferable for you to not go to this concert. You dream to meet her yes. But it is only a dream and not reality. Yes. You are sure of it…

-X-

"Kanaya Maryam?"

You turn around and are surprised to see someone at the front door of your shop. It is closing time and generally people stop coming at least twenty minutes sooner. The person at the front door is a young man of the same height as you. He has short blonde, almost white hair and has a pair of Aviator sunglasses on his nose. But what puzzle you is the impressive red tuxedo is wearing. Surely if he is in your shop, it is for buying something. So why wearing a tuxedo?

"You are not ready?" He asks.

"I'm not ready?" Okay you are lost. Ready for what? You try to remember if you promised something to one of your friends. No you didn't. Or maybe you did, but forgot it. Oh god, you are starting to have Alzheimer. That's it. Think Kanaya! Think!

"Hi Dave!"

You turn in shock and see Porrim smiling with a dress in her arms.

"Sup" The man simply answers.

"Give us 20 minutes and she will be ready." Your sister continues

"Ready for what?" You eventually ask.

"For Rose's concert today!" Porrim smirks. 

Your eyes widen. What the hell? "Porrim I told you that I decided to not go to this concert!"

"Oh come on, dear sister. You don't want to disappoint Dave, who is gentle enough to pick you up before going to his sister's concert, do you?

'His sister?' You think. His sister… Oh my god! Rose's brother, Dave Strider. How could you not recognize him, especially with his shades!

"I…I…"

Suddenly, Porrim drags you in the studio. "Twenty minutes!" She shouts. You hear a "No problem" before the sound of the door closing. Porrim doesn't waste time in undressing you. You let her and follow her orders when she puts the dress she had in her arms on you. You were too preoccupied by the actual situation you are facing right now.

"Porrim, I'm not sure it is a good idea."

"What the dress?"

"No going to this concert. I told you. I think it is for the best that I stay…"

"Kanaya. I want you to be happy. Trust me after this night, you will be. "

"What tell you she will be happy to see me?"

"I know that's all!"

And then you realize that Dave Strider being in your shop right now to drive you to the Palais Garnier is not a coincidence, especially when Porrim was obviously aware that he would come today.

"Porrim, what did you do?" 

She smiles. "Helped you finding happiness, dear sister, that's all."

As promised, you are ready after twenty minutes. You are wearing now a long sleeveless black dress and a long jade scarf around your neck. Your hear Porrim laughing when she saw Dave's expressions. Even with his big shades, he couldn't suppress a light blush on his cheek. 

"Ha ha Dave, Rose won't be happy if you are drooling over Kanaya." Your sister quips.

"It is time to go." He only replies, like he never heard your sister.

You hug Porrim one last time. She whispers in your ears.

"Everything will be fine Kanaya. Trust me."

You hug her tighter before letting go, saying good bye and following Dave. Outside you see him walking toward a car parked in front of your shop. He stops then sighs.

"Oh my god, I let them alone in the car for twenty-five minutes and they can't restrain themselves."

You take a glimpse at the car curious, and can't suppress a blush as you can distinct two women passionately kissing in the back. Hopefully, it is almost dark outside and there is no one in the street except Dave and you. The former opens the front door of the car and looks at the back of the vehicle.

"Roxy! For God's sake, can't you… I don't know… Ask Calliope to tie you down on your seat to immobilize you, because I'm sure you started it and…what the…? Stop smiling like an old pervert!!"

You smile. You think you will like those two. When you see Dave walking around the car to open the passenger door, you follow him and get in the car. 

"Hi there! I'm Roxy! And this is my wife Calliope."

You turn around to say hello as well and look at Roxy's smiling face. Minus the hairstyle and some details, she looks like Rose, which is a little bit troublesome for your peace of mind at this moment. Calliope, who was standing next to Roxy, smiles at you also. She is tall. Really tall. You think that if she is standing next to you, she surely has several centimeters on you. Contrary to Roxy who has blonde, almost white hair, characteristics of the Lalonde -Strider family, Calliope has short platinum white hair. But she doesn't look old, especially with the charming tuxedo she is wearing. Wait. You know this tuxedo. It was designed by your sister a long time ago.  
Suddenly you hear Dave groaning next to you. He has just programmed the GPS to go the Palais Garnier.

"I need to take the traffic circle of death."

"The traffic circle of death?" You laugh. "You mean "La place de l'Etoile"?" 

"Yes the traffic circle of death as I said."

"Take this road. It is like the traffic circle, but you have traffic lights at each intersection. You won't be bothered by the cars that enter the roundabout." You indicate.

Dave looks at you. You look at him, curious and waiting for a reaction. But he just raises his arms and says:

"I love you, my savior."

Everyone just laughs in the car, before he switches on the car and starts driving. 

The travel to Opera is silent. You start feeling uncomfortable. After all, you are surrounded by Rose's family. Maybe they decided to drive you to an isolated place to kill you for what you did to their sister. Okay Kanaya let's be realist for once. According to Porrim, everything will be fine. So relax. Take a deep breathe like this. Yes. Everything will be alright.

"I know what you did to my sister." Dave says his voice low.

Oh my god… you're dead. That's it. 

You stay silent. 

"It has been the first time since our parent's death that I saw her crying so much. I will be honest with you. When I saw Rose crying in my arms because of a girl, my first thought was to kill this girl with my own hands by crunching every bone of her body. "

You gulp with difficulty.

"I know now it was not your fault. BUT… If you ever break her heart again, this time I won't hesitate to use my swords against you. Do you understand?"

Dave is not looking at you, but you could still feel like an intense glare on you. You don't speak. You honestly want to say that you won't break her heart. But you know that if you ever do it, Dave's threat was no joke. You must accept the consequences of your answer.

"I…"

"Oh come on Davey!" Roxy exclaimed in the back seat. "Don't scare her like that. She hasn't seen Rose after two years! Don't worry Kanaya. Davey is a little bit overprotective like our big bro."

"I…" 

Suddenly, the car stops. You look around and are surprised that you are not next to the Palais Garnier. In fact you are next to…

"Hello Kanaya!"

"T…Terezi?"

Your best friend is standing outside of the car, with her usual blind stick and red sunglasses on her nose. But this time, she is wearing a beautiful teal dress. Roxy and Calliope move on the left of the car as Terezi is getting in. 

"Hey Cool kid!"

"Sup."

You are speechless as you see your friend interacting with Rose's brother and sisters. You miss an episode that's for sure.

"Terezi… How do you know everyone?" You eventually ask.

She laughs. "Well Kanaya, that's because they employed me to take Caliborn English to court."

"Caliborn is behind bars?"

"Kanaya! The news has been all over the newspapers and news broadcasts for months" Terezi laughs harder. "Don't tell me you have been living in a cavern since then."

"I haven't kept track with the news recently." Wrong, you only just avoided every subject concerning Caliborn English. It brings back too much painful memories. So it is clear that you had no idea about Caliborn being in prison. "How did you do it? No wait, how did you meet the Lalonde-Strider? It's hard to believe that they look into the French phonebook to find a lawyer."

"Well…"

"Wait Terezi" Roxy interrupts. "I think it is Rose who needs to tell the story. Don't you think?"

Terezi smirks. "Yes of course."

The more time passes, the more you are apprehending your reunion with Rose.

-X-

"Ah finally you are here! I was getting worried."

"Sorry Dirk. There was a hell of traffic outside." Roxy apologizes.

"Anyway, you right in time, the concert will start soon. Take your seat."

You just arrive in the concert room, the place almost full of spectators. Thanks being with the Strider-Lalonde family, you didn't have to stay in the waiting line to enter the room and even have places in the front row. You follow everyone to the seats, when suddenly Dirk moves aside to wait for you also. You stop and look at him. 

"So you are Kanaya Maryam."

"Yes…"

"I think that Dave gave you the bro's talk already, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"I hope he didn't threaten you."

"I will say that I need to prepare myself to face the consequence of my actions now."

He laughs.

"Sorry for that. Just… We don't want to make you feel bad or anything else, but you must understand that seeing Rose breaking down in front of us was a scene the three of us wished to never have seen in our life since our parent's death. Rose, even if she is the youngest with Dave, is the embodiment of mental stability in our family. She helps us with our problems and not the opposite. Even when she broke up with her ex-girlfriends, she didn't show any emotion. Not she doesn't have any, she just doesn't show them. So it was a shock for us when she came home in tears."

"I'm sorry." You say, guiltily.

"Don't. It was not really your fault. We eventually understood your situation. Don't worry about it. Just…"

"Yes?"

He smiles. "I think it's better for me to let Rose tell it herself."

Eventually Dirk and you join the other. You sit between Roxy and Dirk when suddenly the room goes dark. The spectators progressively stop talking and look at the main scene. Meanwhile, you feel restless. First, Porrim telling you that everything will be alright, then Rose's family saying how much their sister suffered from this day. You are starting to feel that maybe you still have a chance with Rose. You deeply wish it is possible, but your past experiences are telling you to not have you hope too much up. You can't have your heart broken again. 

All of sudden, Rose arrives on the scene. Everyone starts clapping. You only just stare at her. At her dress. Your dress. The one you gave her on that day. Slowly and with grace she walks toward the microphone on the scene. Her voice is as smooth as you remember. 

"I want to thank everyone present in this room for attending my concert. I dedicate my first song to someone dear to me."

She looks at you. You stop breathing for a second, before she closes her eyes and starts playing. The song starts with a slow pace, a soft tune to put everyone in a nostalgic mood. Eventually, she increases the tempo and the smooth music is replaced by a dynamic tune, full of joy. During the all song, you couldn't do nothing but stare at Rose, at her hands on her violin, her facial expression. She looks calm. Most of the time, her eyes are closed. But when they are opened, they are on you and each time she is looking at you, you can feel all the emotion she is putting in her song. She is sending you a message, her feelings via her violin. Even when her first song is over, and the concert continues, she doesn't stop looking at you. It is like you are the only person in the room for her. You feel these butterflies inside you. 

You love her so much.

-X-

"Did you like the concert?"

You look at Calliope next to you. The concert finished an hour ago. But the night was not over yet as the others dragged you with them in the Opera Restaurant behind the Palais Garnier. To celebrate the success of the concert, the restaurant has been booked for the family, investors and other important figures. Everyone is here, except Rose, the guest of honor. You learned that she is preparing herself in the locker room of the opera house. 

You don't like this place. Again it reminds you of too painful memories. But after seeing how Rose's family is interacting between themselves, you couldn't suppress a smile. Like for Porrim and you, they look like a whole family, who tried to survive without their parents. The links between each of them are strong.

"Yes, I loved it a lot." You finally answer.

Calliope looks at you and at the Rose-Strider family.

"They are really closed, aren't they?" She says.

"Yes they are." You reply. "Was it difficult for you to be accepted by the family?" You ask.

"Well… I won't lie to you. I was really scared at the beginning. I was afraid that Rose, Dave and Dirk would never accept me. Especially Rose."

"Why?"

She laughs. 

"Since you didn't follow Caliborn's affair, you didn't realize who I am."

"Should I know you?"

"Well… being at the head of one of the most successful broadcast channel in the world by taking to court your brother… I'm surprised that you didn't follow the affair this whole time."

"You're….Caliborn's sister?" You exclaim. You remember now Rose talking about it two years ago. You totally forgot that. You have Alzheimer, that's it.

"Ha ha I hope you won't stop talking to me after that though." She hesitates.

"No no… I'm just surprised that's all. I never thought he has a sister. You really don't look like your brother."

"Yes I am told a lot of that. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm Caliborn's sister. So when I met Roxy's family for the first time. I was really nervous. I thought that they would reject me, and then eventually Roxy would break up with me. But no. They accepted me as who I am. Even Rose. She said that I am not Caliborn. So she had no reason to hate me. They were even happy for me to have succeeded in conquering Roxy's heart."

"How so?"

"After their parents' death, they found themselves alone in this harsh world. Dirk developed a caring figure for his brother and sisters. Dave, even being the youngest with Rose didn't stop him of being the protector of the family, like you saw in the car earlier. Finally, Rose became the 'psychological counselor' of the family, when Roxy the emotion one. You notice that Dirk, Dave and Rose are more the serious type. Roxy is here to remind them to enjoy life no matter what. And really often, she does it by sacrificing her own happiness. They were more than happy when Roxy finally found someone. And I was more than jubilant when she chose me, even when I was only a mere waiter in a bar."

"Waiter?"

"Yes. My father has a clear preference for my brother. So when he died, he gave all his fortune to my brother. I have struggled for years to make enough money to live."

You stay silent, noticing the sorrow in Calliope's eyes.

"Anyway…" Calliope continues. "What I want to say is… don't worry about this all family matter. They will accept you no matter what, because you make Rose happy."

"You are all telling me this. But Rose and I are not even together. I'm not even sure she wants to be with me." You whisper the last part.

Calliope genuinely laughs.

"You are the only one who believes that, even after everything the others said. Have faith, Kanaya. Like Roxy, it's time for you to be happy." 

You are going to reply, when you hear someone behind you. 

"High five!"

You turn around and you saw Meenah, Rose's manager's girlfriend, if you remember well, running toward Dirk to do the said high five.

"Hey there!" He says. "You're finally there."

"Sorry for the waiting." You hear a voice next to you. It is Rose's manager, Aranea. "We never though it would be so difficult to wear a tuxedo."

A tuxedo?

Suddenly you feel a hand on your bare back.

"Sorry for the wait darling."

You immediately turn. You freeze. The scene is very familiar to you. But this time it is not you who is wearing a tuxedo. It is Rose. She is wearing almost the same tuxedo you wore two years ago. She had removed her typical headband to pull her hair back like you in the past. She is so beautiful. You are speechless. You need to focus Kanaya. Don't faint. Don't drool. Say something! 

"Rose."

"Kanaya."

You both stay silent. Calliope and Aranea decide to let you alone and join the others at the other end of the room. 

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" She smiles at you.

"Yes it has been a while." You only say.

"You came from a long way. Congratulations. You and your sister made a name by yourselves."

"Thanks. I really liked your concert also."

"I hope you liked the first song."

"I loved it."

She is still smiling at you. You are scared again. You remember everything that happened two years ago. You remember what Dave and Dirk told you, how broken she was after that night. This feeling of guilt is coming back. How come she is smiling at you like that? Is it sincere or a mask? You can't continue like that, not with the thought that you had hurt her, hurt the love of your life.

"Rose…" You stammer. "I…I'm…I'm sorry."

That's it you said it. 

"I'm sorry for what I said two years ago… I…"

"You didn't mean it?" She simply asks. She seems calm. But you can see in her eyes all the turmoil she is experiencing while waiting for an answer. It hurts you a lot.

"No! I meant it…I…" You realize that you just confirmed your love for her. You start panicking. "I…I…"

This time Rose genuinely smiles and put one finger on your mouth. You immediately stop. You can hear your heart beating hard in your chest. 

"I know everything Kanaya. Porrim told me everything. About Caliborn. About your insecurities."

"But how?"

Rose laughs.

"My friend Jade learned about the event of our night. A several days later she arrives in France to "speak" with you. I came just in time to stop her. We met Karkat and Terezi on your doorway. Jade had a little argument with Karkat, which alerted your sister. Porrim make us move somewhere else to not disturb you. You were in your bedroom… By the ways, I think Porrim has a thing for Terezi'sister."

"It is totally obvious that they are in love, but they are in denial."

Rose smiles again.

"She told me everything, about you, about your discussion with Caliborn. I'm sorry for what happened with him. You found yourself in the middle of our fight. When I learned what he did to you, I decided that it was time to put an end to this problem with Caliborn."

"So you took him to court."

"Yes he had some "little" problem with the tax authorities. We only needed a really good lawyer, who wouldn't be corrupted by Caliborn."

"Hence Terezi." You understand now. Even blind, Terezi didn't stop her job as a lawyer. She loved too much her job to stop like that. She is also one of the best. She had studied Law in the US for 3 years, then worked for 2 over years before coming back to France to study French Law. Her debut in the profession was hard. She was considered as a rookie with almost no experience. But they quickly changed their mind after her first lawsuits either in France or in the United States. She is a genius but she is also totally incorruptible.

"It took us two years. But we were able to put him in jail and eventually Calliope was able to take his place as the righteous CEO of SBURB TV." Rose continues. 

"Why didn't you tell me anything about it?"

"It was my fight. I didn't want to drag you in this…And… You were obviously hurt. I didn't want to worsen your situation with my presence."

"You would never…"

"I also needed time to think. I didn't want to break your heart anymore. So I wanted to be sure of my feelings for you. But when I saw you on this scene during your first fashion show…"

"You were here?"

"Yes I wouldn't have missed this for anything. When I saw you I was totally sure of my feelings for you. Those feelings didn't stop growing until now, especially after seeing you in this dress."

You stay silent, apprehending the next words. You heart is beating faster and faster in your chest.

"I love you Kanaya Maryam. I have loved you since the first time we met."

You don't react immediately, because you don't have fully processed Rose's words in your head. But when you do, you couldn't stop your tears from falling. You don't want to believe it. It's impossible. It can't be true.

"Kanaya. Are you alright?" Rose asks concern on her face. You feel her hand on your cheek. You missed her smooth skin on yours so much.

"I am dreaming. I can't believe it." You stammer.

"But it is real Kanaya. I love you."

"I love you too." 

Rose's smile widens.

"After two years, normally I would have asked "Will you marry me?" But for now, will you be my girlfriend Kanaya."

"Yes…yes! Yes!"

You kiss her. Hard. She gladly accepts the kiss. You missed that too. She put her hands around your neck, while you put yours on her waist. You break the kiss because of your need for air. You look at Rose. She looks at you as well, smiling and breathless. You love her smile. You will never get tired of seeing her smiles. 

You can't describe how happy you are right now. You always dreamt of this day when Rose would declare her undying love to you even after this night two years ago. But you never thought it would come true. You still can't believe it. You want to pinch yourself to see if indeed it is real. Rose chose you. She loves you. Oh god she loves you. How can it be possible? What did you do to deserve her love? You can feel those butterflies in you, feeling your heart beating so hard in your chest. Finally you feel at home. 

"You look beautiful in this dress Kanaya." She whispers.

"You too as well." You continue. "Porrim organized all of this, didn't she? Dave picking me up to force me to go to your concert, so I could meet your family, learn how deeply affected you were by our night together, to make me understand that you care for me as much as I care for you, and to be able to meet you, eventually."

"Yes it was her idea."

"I need to thank her then."

"But before that… why don't you come with me. Even if you're beautiful in this dress, I prefer when you wear nothing at all."

"Your hotel or my home?"

"I have a better idea."

-X-

"Kanaya!"

You don't stop your hand when your hear Rose screaming your name. You want to push her to her limits, wanting to hear her voice over and over again. You miss her voice, her moans and her screams. You miss them so much. But eventually after several seconds, Rose collapses on the bed, totally drained. Your hand can still feel the aftershock of her orgasm. Eventually you collapse next to her, drained also from several orgasms sooner in the night. 

"Still amazing Kanaya." Rose says breathless.

"It because of you." You reply.

"Flatterer."

You both laugh. Eventually, Rose moves to be in your arms, her head in the crook of your neck. You stay silent, trying to catch your breath. Eventually you remember a question you wanted to ask Rose before she suddenly pinned you up on the bed.

"Rose, whose apartment is here?"

After Rose asked Aranea to cover for you (as usual she was with Meenah in the bathroom), after receiving a wink from Roxy and a smile from Calliope, you both left the restaurant. Rose had her own car and she drove you to an apartment. A sumptuous apartment in fact. A sumptuous and freaking huge apartment: a living room with three bedrooms. Saying that it must be expensive is a euphemism. 

"Mine." She smirks.

"What?" You stare at her in shock.

"I decided to move here in Paris. So we could be together."

"I could move to New York, you didn't have to…"

"I know, but your job is here for the moment. I don't want to jeopardize your career because of this. After all, I can write anywhere I want. It is easier for me. And it's a good occasion for Dirk, Dave and Roxy to come in Paris, hence the 3 bedrooms."

"Oh Rose, what I have done to deserve you? 

"I should be the one saying that. You are so perfect Kanaya."

"No you are."

"Ready for another round then?" Rose suggests.

You smile before kissing her.

"I love you Rose."

"I love you too Kanaya."

Suddenly Rose is on you.

"I think it's my turn to be on top". She smirks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking of writing one shots in this universe, like how Calliope and Roxy met, interections betwee Meenah and Aranea, what happened to Rose during the 2 years in details, and an extra chapter for this story, with Kanaya and Dave having the bro talk. Tell me if you are interested :))
> 
> Oh yes about Porrim and Latula.... I thought about them being together, I don't know if people ship them, but I found it quite nice XD
> 
> I should draw some pics from this story one day ;))


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